A superstar already exists in Taylor Swift. She’s about to perform superhero-style stunts in cinema theatres right now.
Tickets have been selling out quickly ever since the pop icon revealed her Eras Tour concert film would be released in domestic theatres in October. Large and small theatres have both added additional showtimes to meet the surge of presales.
Box office analysts don’t have low expectations for the first weekend. Many predict that Swift’s big-screen debut will bring in more than $100 million.
For such an unique release, Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, stated “It is still very early days for such a highly unique release.” “That said, nine digits looks very attainable for opening weekend if capacity continues to grow with additional theaters and showtimes, and especially if promotion ramps up more in the next few weeks to attract the non-Swifties as part of a true theatrical event.”
In considering the fact that several theatres have hinted that they will be offering special in-theater experiences only for the occasion, Robbins stated that he wouldn’t be surprised if the movie continues to progress at its current rate and has the best opening of any movie released in the fourth quarter. For viewers who dress up, the Warehouse Cinemas chain, for instance, promises to serve cotton candy drinks with glitter rim that are available as cocktails and nonalcoholic cocktails, as well as popcorn with edible glitter.
The surprise movie announcement comes at a time when a number of high-profile films are skipping the release schedule. In the midst of two Hollywood labour strikes, “Dune: Part Two,” from Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment, as well as Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter” and the “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” sequel, have all been postponed until 2024.
Disney and Marvel Studios’ “The Marvels,” as well as the DC Comics sequel “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” and the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” prequel “Wonka,” are still scheduled for release in 2023.
Bypassing the traditional studio system approach, AMC Entertainment will handle the direct distribution of the movie. It is expected that the biggest movie chain in the world will receive a distribution charge of 5% to 6%.
The cost of the movie tickets is also more than that of typical general admission seats. For adults, the starting price is $19.89, and for children, it is $13.13. The figures correspond to Swift’s lucky number, 13, and her birth year. Tickets for premium formats, such IMAX and Dolby, are more expensive.
The movie is scheduled to be in theatres from Thursday through Sunday until November 5; however, some have proposed that strong box office performance would cause it to remain there longer.
“The overwhelming response to news of the movie’s release and subsequent ticket buying frenzy has taken the box office projections to the next level and could create a new model for how to boost movie theater revenues with special events and nontraditional filmed content,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
Swift’s live movie appears destined to surpass the previous standard for a cinematic concert movie. Back in 2008, the “Best of Both Worlds” concert movie made $31.1 million in its first weekend. Ultimately, according to Comscore data, it brought in $70 million internationally.